2010 in review

2010 was a banner year for Scrappy Chicks. We entertained guest from as far away as Pennsylvania and as close as Reedsport! It’s always so much fun meeting new ladies and getting excited about their excitement and different techniques in preserving memories.

We did several major projects in 2010, including a cookbook. I have to say that the ladies from California did a bang up job on their recipe cards. The pages they created were innovative, clever, beautiful and fun. The ladies from Reedsport however take the cake on making the paper cupcakes! WOW. They were masterpieces and certainly worthy of the front of a Martha Stewart Magazine!

Scrappy Chicks has teamed up with Michelle Rolen to produce a monthly project kit called Scrappy Kits. The first of the kits rolled out in Oct with a BOO-t-ful envelope book and in November we sent out a kit called the 12-days of Christmas utilizing Graphic 45 paper. Each month the kits get better and the directions will soon appear on U-Tube.

Personally, Kyla continues in her academic quest for that Nursing Degree. We lost Sam in October 2010. He died with his legs crossed and in a peaceful sleep. He will be sorely missed by all that loved him.

We want to thank you so much for the loyalty, graciousness, and warm hugs that you have shared with us over the past wonderful eight years. We also look forward to the New Year; in 2011 we look with trepidation, nerves of jello one second and steel the next, when we announce that it is time for Kyla and me to look towards another future away from Scrappy Chicks. 2011 will see the end of this chapter in our lives but we see a star looming on the horizon signaling that something else is in our mist. We certainly want to go out with a bang, and we have lots of “special” activities planned for the retreats in this our final year.

We have a few openings left for 2011 so if you have always wanted to attend a retreat now is a good time!

God Bless and happy Holidays

New Fall Retreat Date Added

Geetings from the Oregon Coast my friends.  Life sure is moving quickly these days, so many interesting developments in my life that I’m most anxious to share with you and I want to hear all about yours, as well as get all the updates via photos of the past year.   It’s called memories and it’s the common thread between us.

 

 Well girls it’s time to start thinking about the fall, I know summer just got here a couple of days ago!  All the fall retreat spots are filled to overflowing, but you know me…I can’t say no, so when a couple of nice new chicks emailed me from Walla Walla Washington looking for a Mom’s treat, I just had to add another date!  Gosh, I’m a push-over…They sounded so nice and so in need of a get-away…and some of my favorite chicks are from that area, I just couldn’t say “no way”!  Okay, so the added date is October 21-25^th, 2010.  It was added today so I currently have 13 spots open.  If you are interested please email me straight away to get in on the fun, eat some yummy foods, share some new tricks and get some new tips and hear all the latest skinny.

If you need a reminder of why you should sign up go to our website and look at those sea views the girls smiling, the table of food and the creative endeavors that we have created together!

 

Peace out and have a happy summer!

 

Maggie and Kyla

Spring Update

The spring retreats were a huge success!  Although we have 2-more retreats to go, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they go smoothly. On April 22^nd we have Darcie Lewis and friends and a bunch of new chicks.  They all seem pretty smart.  Kelly Wilson has her own web site and although I’m not sure the purpose of it…(remember I am and old woman with no school age children and much to my dismay I am also grand-child-less having daughters who refuse to procreate and do their duty to me by giving me a new baby, the selfish girls, but I’m not bitter, I’m not!), anyway if you have children then you will want to check out Kelly’s site:

Author of Live Cheap & Free! Strategies to Thrive in Tough Economic Times

Sign up for my daily money-saving newsletter – www.WilsonWrites.com

Come Visit Me at TRC – www.trcabc.com

It was very interesting, and Kelly seems super nice. The second retreat we have the super achievers coming; the Michelle Rolles, Kim Liberti, Natalie Nelison group.  They always intimate me with their creative abilities. They are bringing along an ex-trailblazer cheerleader and a physical therapist that is wicked with her humor.  And the Blake sisters!  If you haven’t had the pleasure of retreating with the Blake sisters you have not lived! The OTHER Betsy and the real Betsy are my sisters of the heart! All the retreats this spring have been over-flowing with 15-ladies at each retreat, very crowded, but so far thank the Lord, no complaints.

1. The yearly menu is changing as of April 22^nd.  YUMMERS, Blueberry pancakes with a cream filling! And we are introducing Protein shakes for those girls that just cannot eat all that butter first thing in the morning (the big babies!)
2. The fall retreats are filling up fast, with many of the dates already booked solid.  If you are young, like loud music, loud and rowdy jokes in the middle of the night, lots of food and laughter and you ATC the Oct 14^th retreat is for you.  That would be the Luz Miranda group….They are a wild ride! If you are thinking about the fall and taking a break away from the kids you might want to inquire soon about availability.
3. Pam Teel has a small cricut for sale.  It’s only been used once and is in the original box.  She is asking $50.00 (what a deal), you can reach her at tfortwo@actionnet.net.
4. I am teaching classes regularly in Reedsport, or at least twice a month.  The next class is the first week of May and will be a BEACH wall hanging, made out of paper and your pictures.  To inquire about this or any other classes you can contact Kathy at abcsurvy@peak.org I will be teaching the occasional paper art class, but for the most part I will be teaching double page layouts.  I also have a mini (REAL MINI) store in Reedsport where you can pick up some adhesive, buttons and stickers if you need.  These items are discounted so most of the stuff in the store is a good price and to wetting the appeal of driving to Reedsport, the store is across the street from the BEST and I mean BEST donut shop in the state, The Sugar Shack.  You gotta LOVE those coconut twisters! YUMMERS!  I’ve also kind-of-sort-of-but-not-really agreed to teach a couple of classes at the La Qunita in Newport.  I’m a little on the fence on that one.  I hate stepping on LSS toes and there is a LSS is Newport.  Any opinions out there?
5. Melinda Dye is now helping me at the retreats (that traitor Kyla just HAD to apply for nursing school, leaving me helpless again).  If you haven’t met Melinda you are in for a real treat.  She is hilarious!  I adore Melinda, I love Melinda and I laugh myself to tears around Melinda.  Please be nice to her, she is a Creative Memory Rep and can whip out a 100 page album in 2-hours or less, has more Tye Dye tee-shirts then should be legal and she someone who you can laugh with and occasional at……OH the Meal time stories we can tell and you will be forced to hear and laugh at.
6. Coming to or through Florence?  You have GOT to stop at the Wren Nest.  It’s lovely.  Tea, flowers and candles and the nicest lady Wren, owns and runs it. Check it out at wren@thewrensnestonline.com I would love to have her abilities to pull things together like she does. And she is so nice you just don’t mind spending money in her store.  To eat check out The Brown Hen.  They are only open for Breakfast and lunch, but yummy! It’s on Hwy 101
7. Kyla, Val (YES traveling around the globe Val), Pam and I are going on a mini road trip this summer pulling our T@B and camping in the redwoods.  Along the way I plan on stopping by Roberta’s Lumber Yard near Grants Pass….Anywhere else I need to check out?
8. And lastly, on the personal front.  Kyla recently had part of her stomach removed due to an overbearing mother, oops I mean ulcers and has applied to nursing schools around the state.  She will find out in June where she has been accepted.  She is currently working towards bachelor in Nursing and soon will be working towards her Masters.  I continue to fall apart, but the doctors have ASSURED me that 2010 will be the year for double robotic knees 1 robotic elbow and a few pins and bolts to keep my back together.  I’m good!  Kyla took my cutter bee scissors and wacked off my ponytail.  I now have graying/whitish balding SHORT hair.  It’s a real sore subject so NO cracks when you see me.
9. Everyone have a great spring and summer and I hope to see many of you in the fall.  Stay healthy and keep smiling.

Peace out, Maggie

March is here and its raining on the coast

Where is the year rushing off to?  I can’t believe that it’s almost Easter!  I took a drive down the coast to Bandon last week.  WOW, I’ve been to Bandon many times but never to the beach front.  WOW!  What a treat, gorgeous!  Saw a new scrapbook store in Bandon.  It’s right on the highway and it’s run by a charming mother/daughter team.  The store is very tiny and they are just up and running, but if you are in the area stop by! 

I’m teaching a class in Coos Bay on March 13^th.  It’s a book, but I can only take 10 people total. If you go to her web site www.memoriesintime.com and click on class samples and scroll though the many samples you can view the front cover of the project.  It’s the pink and black book that says ME on the front.  TJ from Siletz is driving all the way to take the class!  Now THAT’S dedication.   I am also teaching in Reedsport twice a month. Hope to see some of you there! 

 Kyla is doing very well in school.  She has applied to several Nursing programs and will find out in June where she has been accepted.  She got a nice email form one professor today saying that she, Kyla, was the only one to pass the midterm, she got a 98%, having missed 1 question, however the rest of the class all failed with the next highest grade being a 68%.  He wanted to know how she was the only one to pass. She was so excited, I guess that was NOT the time to ask her to take my Cutter Bee’s and trim my hair.  She got carried away and my once long locks are now tiny curls over my ears!  I kind of look like the Queen of Heats, and not in a fashionable way!

 We are geared up in the mist of spring retreat season, we are overfilled booked, but still have a couple of spots o[pen for Fall, Hope to see you then! Happy Scrapping! Happy Memories! Hug your children and then hug them again, tell your mother you love her and admire her, you never know when it may be the last time. Mags!

Memories of Time in Coos Bay, OR

Sam and I drove down to Coos Bay last week with Kyla and Pam Teel to check out Memories Of Time.  Great store.  I spent $71.00 in paper, OUCH!  Love paper.  Kim Libretti and Amanda Smith live in Coos Bay and rave about Michelle and her store, I have to agree.  The store was NOT sparse, it was full of new merchandise and the two clerks at the store were unloading new merchandise just received from CHA.  The 3 Bugs in a Rug Camping Paper is too 2 to two cute!  The clerks were young and brand new, so were not a lot of help to an experienced scrapper, but we all have to start somewhere and learn…..they were trying to be helpful and they were very sweet. Michelle, the owner ran in and she is a spitfire.  It was very nice seeing such a great store.  She is getting a web site up and a blog, check her store out.  The prices were good and the variety was GREAT!  I am going to teach a couple of classes there in March, hope to see you there, at any rate, DO check out her website at www.memoriesoftime.com .  Happy Scrapping! 

Home from CKU

I Just got home from an exhausting 5-hour drive to Portland to attend Portland CKU with Michelle Rollens.  It I was a nice visit, if short one with Michelle, and a rather disappointing CKU.  Last CKU I attended was 2002 or so and the convention center was a sea of women and vendors, excitement was in the air to see the latest and greatest.  Women waited patiently to do make and takes (which were all free then) and there were row after row of vendors, strollers and Cop N Styles vying for room at all the booths.  You could sense the anticipation for the many, many classes offered and tickets to those classes were being scalped to the highest bidder, heck  the line to the ladies restroom was 10-deep.  I remember Die Cuts being sold 10- for a buck.  I must have spent $1000.00 in my frenzy to get my “stuff”.  I did not sense that excitement this year.  I saw tired women with very few purchases.  The make and takes all cost money, I was shocked by that.  Even more shocked to learn Rusty Pickle, a favorite of mine, and like so many of the other great ones are now long gone.  I paid $3.75 for a diet Pepsi!  I took some Scrappy Chick flyers to pass out and I was busted for trespassing!  I couldn’t believe it.  Apparently because I did not pay $5,000 for a booth, I was not entitled to let ladies know about the retreats, where in the heck did the spirit of the hobby go? I certainly did not mean to trample on anyone’s parade, I just wanted to share, and this was not to be tolerated.  My brochures were confiscated and thrown away.  Thought that was mean-spirited!  I saw, Hazel Stratton and Amanda Smith at the convention center and it was really nice to Michelle.  I feel sad that our industry is falling apart, or perhaps it’s just changing course, either way I kind of miss the old days.

Blog or Twitter?

Kyla signed us up for TWITTER.  What the heck?  I don’t understand the difference between a BLOG and TWITTER.  I mean really?  Does anyone care what I think or what I’m doing on a minute to minute, heck on a day to day basis?  I don’t have that much to say; well I do, but again, who cares?  Now I’m all sorts of confused, do I keep in contact with all my chicks on BLOG or on TWITTER?  Please weigh in on the heavy debate!  Michelle R. invited me to Portland for the weekend to attend a SB class at one of the last standing LSB in the Vancouver/Portland area.  She has called and called and called to register us for the class, to get an idea what the class is about, how much is the class, when the class starts….You would think that LSB stores are hurting enough to want to return phone calls and sign people up for a class.  Well, I guess I’m wrong, this store will not return a call after numerous calls in over a week.  So let’s weigh in on this heated argument, should we continue to support the store?  What’s new out there in the SB world?  I’m stuck in Florence going through a lack of creative crises.  Help!

We are gearing up for the spring retreats!

Hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving, warm and cuddly Christmas, a blow out New Year (for all you 2012 die-hards, there is a mere 2-years left, woo hoo, hope to see you on the other side!) and a successful beginning to any resolutions!  Kyla, Sam and I ate till we dropped, spent a lovely day with friends, slept through the evening and began our New Year’s diet.  Kyla is still on task and I fell off the train 2-days in! ARGH!…

It’s that time of year to start thinking about YOU and YOUR needs for the upcoming year, to that end this is a reminder letter of down time, plentiful food, good friends, sisterhood, AWESOME views, creative endeavourers and ME!  Most of the spots for fall have been taken and spring is just around the corner if you want in.  SO give it some thought and if you are interested in heading to Yachats this year and spending some time with Kyla and Maggie (in the spring and JUST Maggie in the fall) then send me an email to secure your spot at Secure, we would love to entertain YOU.

We have some cute projects planned, the spring retreats will be making a FALL picture store-er (is that a word?) that can hang on the wall year after year if you make it right!  The backside will hold photos that need to be scrapbooked, along with journaling tags that you can jot notes about the event of the picture!  It was inspired by Kim Liberti, she made one years ago and I’ve recreated it here for us.  The fall retreats will be making one of 2 projects, an ALL HALLOWS EVE Book or a telephone journal with pictures!  We’ve been busy altering menus also!  One tasty dessert is a Lemon/Sour Cream Pound dense Cake filled with Lemon Curd and Raspberries and covered with thick fresh whipping cream…Yummers! We have new items in our mini store, great prizes to give away and new cartridges for the Cricut!

So check the available dates on the web site, check with your calendar and family and send me an email to secure your spot.  I look forward to seeing you!  AND just for the folks who read the blog…Here is a Blog Special.  Sign up for a retreat with a friend and save 10% off YOUR fee, sign up with 2 friends and save 20%, 3 friends 30%…etc…..get it?  YOU MUST MENTION THIS SPECIAL WHEN SIGNING UP AND THE DISOCUNT IS ONLY GOOD FOR YOU, OR 1 PERSON IN YOUR GROUP.  AND this is a January special.  You must sign up and pay your deposit by January 31st to get the discount.

Kyla and Mags

December 23rd

Greetings from the sea!  It’s a cold, chilly, windy, brrrrr kind of day here on the coast.  Perhaps we will have a white Christmas, but no, thats just the frost building up on the sidewalk.  We took Baby Sam to the doctor, he has a bone stuck in his intestines, great, surgery!  Kyla is still coughing way and I am fighting a cold again.  Will Spring every great here?  I’m looking forward to seeing all you girls and getting some projects completed!

Baby Sam

Even baby Sam is ohhh so sick with the aches and pains of old man winter. We had to elevate is hurty paw and get him an electric blanket. Life is pretty rufffff.(I could not help that one)